9 Difference between Applet and Application in Java

In this article, I will be explaining the complete difference between Applet and Application in Java along with coding examples. Before to this, let’s see the definition of Java applet and application.

What is Java Applet?

An applet is a small application that performs specific operations or functions. It is a utility program which loaded from the web server and executed by the web browser.

Applets are designed to be embedded within the HTML page, thereby, providing functionalities that a simple HTML page cannot provide.

What is an Application in Java?

A Java application is a standalone java program that runs on client or server.

It is a program that runs on itself as and when the main() method of any specific class is executed. An application has a functionality that benefits user or some other java application.

Still confused? Let’s see the differences…

Difference between Applet and Application in Java:

In other words, how is Java Applet different from Java Application?

The major differences between an applet and an application in JAVA are as follows:

Sr.No.

Characteristic

Java Application

Java Aapplet

1.

Definition

An application is a standalone Java program which can be run independently on client/server without the need of a web browser.

An applet is a form of Java program which is embedded with HTML page and loaded by a web server to be run on a web browser.

2.

main() method

The execution of the program starts from the main() method.

There is no requirement of main() method for the execution of the program.

3.

Access Restrictions

Application can access local disk files/ folders and network system.

Applet doesn’t have access to the local network files and folders.

4.

GUI

It doesn’t require any Graphical User Interface (GUI).

It must run within GUI.

5.

Security

It is a trusted application and doesn’t require much security.

It requires high-security constraints as applets are untrusted.

6.

Environment for Execution

It requires Java Runtime Environment (JRE) for its successful execution.

It requires a web browser like Chrome, Firefox, etc for its successful execution.

7.

Installation

It is explicitly run and installed on a local system.An applet doesn’t have access to local files and so it cannot perform read and write operations on files stored on local disk.

It doesn’t require any explicit installation to be done.

8.

Read/ Write Operation

An application can perform read and write operations on files stored on the local disk.

An applet doesn’t have access to local files and so cannot perform read and write operations on files stored on local disk.

9. Examples [Java Applet Vs Application]:

Here are examples of Java application and applet. You can test these programming codes by running on your system.

I am a graduate in computer science with a creative bent of mind for writing content. With great gusto, I enjoy learning new things. I trail in database management system, and object-oriented programming languages like Java, C/C++.